- May 20, 2017
- 57
Not uninstalling McAcfee the moment I opened new computer.
What was your dumbest security mistake?
- Thread starter RoboMan
- Start date
Please provide comments and solutions that are helpful to the author of this topic.
- Dec 7, 2021
- 628
This was over 20 years ago & I'm not sure what actually happened but the screen flashed a few times & an error box came up I've not seen again which said ' Windows does not exist' as that was pretty final & very conclusive I either reinstalled or I may have used the disc backup system that was totally unreliable, but I never knew the cause 
- I used a few years ago Webroot as I had used Prevx with success in the past but ended up believing for a while that Webroot was of some value - Disagreeing with support on any aspect of the program caused flames, fire & brimstone to emit from your keyboard, in time I gave up
- I used a few years ago Webroot as I had used Prevx with success in the past but ended up believing for a while that Webroot was of some value - Disagreeing with support on any aspect of the program caused flames, fire & brimstone to emit from your keyboard, in time I gave up 
- Jan 16, 2017
- 1,469
- Jun 11, 2019
- 408
Many years ago I decided to try myself as an antivirus tester. 
One user from the Russian forum sent me an archive with 1100 viruses, where there were both completely new ones and viruses from a month ago. I installed an antivirus, then tested it for phishing, for web protection about surfing on malicious sites, and then for viruses from the archive. Tested Kaspersky, Avast, and then decided to test Eset. Eset performed well in protecting against phishing, after which I began testing web protection.
The situation with malicious sites was also good, the antivirus blocked everything, and I decided to have a real hardcore - turn off the ad blocker and click on all the ads in a row, which only I get in the browser. I began to click on all the flashing banners, on some advertisements for cream, on naked flashing aunts with cellulite, and so on.
And then I clicked on a banner that said - "This news will shock you!". I clicked to shock me... And I was transferred to some news site, from which I was immediately transferred to some other news site, and then again transferred to a third site, on which a huge banner appeared with the inscription " Shocking news" and the "Agree" button. I pressed the button...
And I was shocked! I was shocked by the cynicism of the people who do this, because as "news" they wrote an outright blasphemy against one deceased singer (allegedly she is alive and well, although she actually died of cancer and even the funeral was shown on TV). But not only that, by clicking on the "I agree" button, I subscribed to the daily mailing list of such "news", and since I used the mobile Internet (USB 3G-modem), 30 rubles (0.5 euros) were immediately withdrawn from my account, and I subscribed to something to shoot the same amount daily, in exchange for their crazy "news". It was impossible to disable the subscription even through the personal account of the mobile operator. It was possible to unsubscribe only by coming to the office of the mobile operator and through the entrance to the personal account from their office computer. I went to the office the same day. When I stood in line at the mobile operator's office, there were several other people with the same problem (one of the users managed to subscribe to 10 such "news" sites and paid 5 euros daily for six months).
Since then, I have not tested antiviruses.
One user from the Russian forum sent me an archive with 1100 viruses, where there were both completely new ones and viruses from a month ago. I installed an antivirus, then tested it for phishing, for web protection about surfing on malicious sites, and then for viruses from the archive. Tested Kaspersky, Avast, and then decided to test Eset. Eset performed well in protecting against phishing, after which I began testing web protection.
The situation with malicious sites was also good, the antivirus blocked everything, and I decided to have a real hardcore - turn off the ad blocker and click on all the ads in a row, which only I get in the browser. I began to click on all the flashing banners, on some advertisements for cream, on naked flashing aunts with cellulite, and so on.
And then I clicked on a banner that said - "This news will shock you!". I clicked to shock me... And I was transferred to some news site, from which I was immediately transferred to some other news site, and then again transferred to a third site, on which a huge banner appeared with the inscription " Shocking news" and the "Agree" button. I pressed the button...
And I was shocked! I was shocked by the cynicism of the people who do this, because as "news" they wrote an outright blasphemy against one deceased singer (allegedly she is alive and well, although she actually died of cancer and even the funeral was shown on TV). But not only that, by clicking on the "I agree" button, I subscribed to the daily mailing list of such "news", and since I used the mobile Internet (USB 3G-modem), 30 rubles (0.5 euros) were immediately withdrawn from my account, and I subscribed to something to shoot the same amount daily, in exchange for their crazy "news". It was impossible to disable the subscription even through the personal account of the mobile operator. It was possible to unsubscribe only by coming to the office of the mobile operator and through the entrance to the personal account from their office computer. I went to the office the same day. When I stood in line at the mobile operator's office, there were several other people with the same problem (one of the users managed to subscribe to 10 such "news" sites and paid 5 euros daily for six months).
Since then, I have not tested antiviruses.
Last edited:
- Mar 25, 2021
- 515
I mean... I 3 anti virus protected me well, it prevented me from using the internet, then I can't get any viruses.
Installing some softwares without checking the hidden checkboxes, that installed programs like adware or Browser hijacking (i still remember the site youndoo.com)
- Jun 22, 2014
- 882
Ah, all this brings back memories and I seem to have done a lot of the already mentioned but still it got me interested in pc security and all that
Thanks for sharing folks
Regards Eck
Thanks for sharing folks
Regards Eck
- Jan 28, 2018
- 2,464
My guess is that there are overwhelmingly more members who overdo it and fail than fail without doing it.
The reason we call attention to over-protection proposals is probably because we share such an original experience.
The reason we call attention to over-protection proposals is probably because we share such an original experience.
- Mar 25, 2021
- 515
Also installing webroot, it takes my pc into BSOD everyday, and when I uninstall it it left two of its service in my pc, and they consums large amount of ram, I have to go into safe mode and delete them.
kongchaos
New Member
- Mar 12, 2022
- 6
That monkey was a real pain. Sometimes he came bundled into legit software installers.
- Jun 23, 2018
- 441
Buying Norton 2004, then discovering after a reformat that it didn't accept my license key, so I bought it again. I should have been using a free AV, but didn't start doing that until a few years later with Avast 4.7. I've never paid for an AV since.
- Apr 7, 2016
- 568
I remember short time after getting my first computer. Into my e mail account, came a little e mail called "Snow white and the seven dwarfs"!
As most of you probably remember it was an ugly worm, that infected the computer. Also Limeware were I downloaded MP3 music files where a constant pain. But around that time I discovered Kaspersky, and all infections stopped.
Short after I started using PrevX. Nice and very light malware buster. Then ESET and I use ESET these days too.
As most of you probably remember it was an ugly worm, that infected the computer. Also Limeware were I downloaded MP3 music files where a constant pain. But around that time I discovered Kaspersky, and all infections stopped.
Short after I started using PrevX. Nice and very light malware buster. Then ESET and I use ESET these days too.
- Apr 5, 2021
- 621
Many years ago trying to upgrade Windows XP from Home to Pro with a sketchy download from a torrent site. "If you dance with the Devil..."
- Aug 21, 2020
- 609
Pirating Kaspersky ~2004. Of course the anti-malware came with malware.
- May 26, 2014
- 1,149
I had a pop-up saying I had an infection,then pop up for a spyware/malware removal tool that cost 60 dollars it was a scam,could of got rid of it with task master oops didn't know any better but bought it,(lol at least it worked,another time no backup program and lost really nice pictures of the kids
byronbytes
Level 2
- Mar 30, 2022
- 51
I vaguely remember some huge security mistakes I made when I was really young.
- Accidentally made a typo in a website, got a popup scam saying you need to call this number, I somewhat believed it.
- Accidentally installed a malicious chrome extension that disabled the entire explorer process and forced me into fullscreen chrome (I fixed that quickly.) Who knows what that could've done?
Oh I can list so many more, thank god I learned from my mistakes when I was young.
- Accidentally made a typo in a website, got a popup scam saying you need to call this number, I somewhat believed it.
- Accidentally installed a malicious chrome extension that disabled the entire explorer process and forced me into fullscreen chrome (I fixed that quickly.) Who knows what that could've done?
Oh I can list so many more, thank god I learned from my mistakes when I was young.
I purchased a PC, plugged it into the outlet, connected it to the internet and proceeded to use said PC. Epic fail.
- Oct 14, 2021
- 112
Hi, I pressed a link on Facebook, which led me to an infected Website, years ago, how dumb is that?
Not dumb, if you think you are going to visit a legitimate website.Hi, I pressed a link on Facebook, which led me to an infected Website, years ago, how dumb is that?
- Jan 23, 2021
- 260
Back in the early 2000's when I had AOL on a dial-up connection I fell for an "Insta-Kiss" phishing gimmick. I had to enter my AOL user ID and password so I could read a message from an interested woman on an internet dating site. Of course, the site did not really exist and the next day I had over 200 spam emails in my inbox and more than that in my sent folder. That was when I learned not to click links in emails.
C.H.
C.H.
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